What is Diabetes - Important Facts About Diabetes

The spread of diabetes has caused consternation in many governments and health organizations. It is thought to be one of the fastest growing diseases in the world at present. But what is diabetes ? This article will answer that question and list the different types of diabetes and common ways to treat the disease.

People with diabetes are characterized by having a high level of sugar in their blood with no way to reduce this level. Sugar gets into the bloodstream from the food we eat. It is used to provide energy to the body's cells. Without this energy the cells starve.

One belief that has no scientific proof is that eating too much sugar will give you diabetes. This is not really true, however eating lots of sugary foods without sufficient exercise could lead to weight gain.

If the scenario continued without change then the person would run the risk of becoming obese. And there seems to be a definite link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. An obese person has a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes than someone that is a normal weight.

Another common belief is that most people that have diabetes don't even know they have it. This is often the case because it is very hard to diagnose the disease without a fasting test. There are no symptoms that are unique to the disease and in some cases there are no symptoms at all.

A few of the more common symptoms are :

Excessive thirst (polydipsia).

Increased need to urinate (polyuria).

Having a large appetite without any appreciable weight gain (usually weight loss).

Extreme tiredness.

Nausea and a general feeling of being ill.

Yeast infections.

Blurred vision.

Male impotence.

If you have any of these symptoms then you should see your doctor.

It could be that your body has stopped making insulin, which is the hormone responsible for reducing blood sugar levels. This is called type 1 diabetes.

Alternatively, you continue to produce insulin but the body resists the affects of the insulin. This is known as adult onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes. This can also happen when a woman is pregnant. She will have type 2 diabetes during the pregnancy and it will stop after the birth. This is called gestational diabetes.

As yet there is no cure for diabetes. It will last for life and the best way to deal with it is regular checkups and ongoing treatment. Treatment is easy after the initial adjustment to a new lifestyle conducive with the disease.

Treatment involves getting a diabetic diet plan. A diet plan for diabetes is essentially a well balanced meal plan with certain foods taken infrequently as a treat. Treatment also includes getting regular exercise. For people with type 1 diabetes it will also include regular injections of insulin, usually before each meal or when the blood sugar reading is high.  Type 2 diabetics may have to take medication to make the body more responsive to insulin. Once a person gets into this routine, it is quite easy to lead a normal life without diabetes impacting your life greatly.

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